This invention is directed to an improvement in a toilet holding tank water inlet valve. The improvement inhibits discharge of refill water into the holding tank while the holding tank is actively being voided of water during transfer of water from the holding tank to the toilet bowl. The water inlet valve is not open until the holding tank is almost depleted of its charge of water resulting in substantial savings of water usage during each actual flushing of the toilet.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,850 a ball-cock valve is disclosed which utilizes a pressure chamber, a portion of which is flexible, as the sealing member against a valve seat on the water inlet supply pipe. This valve has many advantages over other types of toilet water inlet valves. It is quiet in function, it is very positive in its action in controlling water discharge from the water inlet supply pipe and it operates in conjunction with water inlet supplies of varying water pressures.
Water has always been a precious commodity in the arid portions of the world. With the recent droughts in what are normally wet areas such as the Eastern seaboard of the United States, it is also being recognized that generally water is a precious commodity which must be conserved and utilized wisely. As the populations increase, a great stress is put on the water supply of any particular geographical area. The solution of these stresses and the prevention of water shortages lies in wise use and conservation of the existing water supply.
The modern water closet or toilet is designed for efficient waste removal by discharging a set volume of water from its water holding tank through its bowl. Normally, the amount of water discharged from the holding tank into the bowl during any one flush is of a volume more than sufficient to insure complete flushing of the bowl. During local water shortages. it has even been the PG,3 practice to reduce the volume of water which can be held within the holding tank by adding solid, dense objects to the holding tank such as bricks or the like. Recently, commercially available plastic barriers have been developed which can be inserted into the holding tank to reduce its volume without inhibiting its function in supplying an adequate supply of water to the bowl for complete flushing.
Notwithstanding any of the water saving measures noted above, valve in U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,850 as well as all other commonly used water inlet valves for toilets suffer a common defect which results in a waste of water which can no longer be tolerated in view of the decreasing availability of water and its status as a precious commodity. The water inlet valve of patent 2,808,850 as well as other water inlet systems all utilize a float or the like which floats on the surface of the water within the holding tank and as the surface of the water within the holding tank descends downwardly during transfer of water from the holding tank to the bowl the water inlet valve is prematurely opened while water is being transferred from the holding tank to the bowl.
The valve of U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,850 utilizes a positive opening and closing of the valve which can essentially be described as either being off or on. The valves of other inlet systems are such that as the float slowly descends the valve is incrementally opened and varies from a small influx of water when the water level is very high to a large influx of water through the valve as the float descends and the valve is fully opened. In any event, in all of the known water inlet valves commonly utilized for toilets, the water inlet valve is actively introducing water into the holding tank as water is being transferred from the holding tank to the bowl.
The volume of the holding tank, normally 4 gallons, is sufficient such that it is not necessary to insure adequate flushing to augment this volume with additional water being introduced as noted in the previous paragraph. The flushing time, i.e., the time of transfer from the holding tank to the bowl, depends upon the flow of the water through the orifice located between the holding tank and the bowl. Normally, the transfer time necessary for complete movement of the water from the holding tank to the bowl is typically of about 15 seconds. During this time, all of the known water inlet valves, including that of U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,850, dischrge water into the holding tank which is in effect wasted water. The amount of water prematurely discharged into the holding tank during active transfer of water from the holding tank to the bowl typically is about 6/10ths of a gallon. It can be seen that when this 6/10ths of a gallon figure is multiplied by the number of times a toilet is flushed per day which in turn is multiplied by the number of toilets in any one geographical area, that the amount of water wasted each day in any particular geographical area can amount to a very significant percentage of the total usage of water of that geographical area.